Machine for disintegrating and drying fertilizers



(human 7 j G. MERGER;

Machine forDisifltegrTting andDrfying Fertilizers.

Patent ed Jan; 25, 1881,.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

GEORGE MERGER, OF ST. Lotus, MISSOURI.

I MACHINE FOR DISHINT'EGVRATING AND DRYING FERTILIZ'ER'S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,080, dated January25, 1881.

- Application filed April 6,1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MERCER, re-

- siding atthe city of St. Louis, in the State of the cutting-boxremoved, and part in "section in the plane of the axis of thedrying-cylinders, the central portion being broken away. Fig. 2 is asection at a a; and Fig. 3 is a section at b b, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aninside view of two cylinder-heads, showing the position of X as theconnecting passage or chamber in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a top View ofthe rotary cutter, with the cutter-box in section at c c, Fig. 1.

A is the hopper of the cutting-box B. This box is of nearly the form ofa double cylinder, each (part containing an axialrotating shaft, 0,carrying a number of cutters O, of involute form, as shown in Fig. 1.The cutters O are not flat, but are formed like the blades of ascrew-conveyer, so that they act not only to cut up the material fedinto the hopper A, but also as a conveyer to carry it endwise in the boxto the lower end of the elevator D, by which it is carried up anddropped into the hopper E of disintegrator E. The cutters O arejsoplaced on the shafts O that those upon :oneshaftlap past. thoseupon-the other shaft in part of their circumference, and operate in themanner of shears so as to keep the edges clear. Thus it will be seenthat the contents of the box B are cut and mixed and conveyed to theelevator by theaction of the cutters 0 alone.

The elevator may be of the usual kind, having an endless belt carryingbuckets suitable for carrying up the material from the box B to thehopper E.

The disintegrator E contains four rotating cutter-shafts, c e e 6 uponeach of which is a series of circular toothed cutters or saws, e. Thesawshafts are arranged in pairs, in which the relative position of thesaws is such that the teeth of those upon one shaft of each pair lappast the teeth of the saws upon the other shaft of the same pair. Thesaws rotate in the direction shown by arrows, so that they tend to carrydown the material between them, the upper set of saws dropping it uponthe under set. One shaft of each pair rotates at a faster speed than theothersay four to onethe gear-wheels E upon the shafts engaging togetherand being suitably proportioned. From the lower set of saws the materialpasses into a chamber, F, in line with the first dryingcylinder: G. Thedrying-cylinders are plain cylinders screwed fast in heads H. Thecylinders contain screw-conveyers turned by a train of spur-wheels, J,upon their shafts. The serew-conveyers I are shown as extending to thetops of the cylinders G; but this is not necessary, nor may it be themost desirable form of construction. The conveyers may have a lessdiameter than the inside diameter of the cylinders, and be in contactonly with the bottom of the cylinders, so as to leave a space above themfor the passage of damp airs and vapors. Each cylinder G is surroundedby a concentric cylinder or case, K, whose ends are closed by thecylinder-heads H, the joint between the cylinders being made tight byiron cement or other packing calked into the space between the cylinderK and the flange L cast upon the head H. Thus it will be seen that eachcylinder G is surrounded by a chamber between it and the cylinder K.This space is supplied with steam entering through a pipe, M, incommunication with the steam-space QI beneath the chamber F. This spacecommunicates with the upper annular steam-space, O, by a passage, n,andv all of these steamspaces 0 are in communication by ports 0extending through the metal of the heads H and H. P and P are castingsbolted to the heads H by means of heads H, the joint being made tight bya gasket between the heads H H in the usual manner. The castings P and Phave chambers F in communication with the inside of the cylinders G, sothat the material is carried from the chamber into the cylinders by theconveyer I, which works in the bottom of the chambers.

In the casting P, between the central and lower cylinders, is adisintegrator, E having a pair of shafts, e a, carryingdisintegratingsaws e, to powder the material after it has been renderedhard by drying. These saws are arranged in the same manner as the saws eon shafts e e e o one shaft of the pair having a more rapid rotationthan the other, for the reason before set forth. There may be two ormore disintegrators, E in the course of the material.

Q is the discharge-orifice by which the dried and disintegrated productleaves the apparatus.

R R are orifices for the escape of efiiuvia or obnoxious gases, the sameescaping into the chamber within the inclosing-case S, and escapingtherefrom into a furnace, chimney, or other suitable place. The gasesmay be drawn from the chamber by a suction-fan.

T is a pipe in communication with a suctionfan to exhaust the damp airand vapor from the interior of the cylinders G, the air entering saidcylinders through thedischarge-opening Q, or through a pipe whose monthis shown at U. A blast of heated or dried air may he forced into theapparatus through the pipe U to supply and aid the discharge at T. Whenthe air and vapor are drawn through pipe T the orifices B may be closed.

I am aware that it is not new to pass grain through steam-heatedcylinders, using as a means of propulsion a spiral conveyer orwormshaft; neither is it new to pass a current of heated air overthegrain while passing through the cylinders.

I am also aware that fertilizing material, at-

ter having passed through grooved rollers, has been passed through arevolving cylinder, in which it is subjected to the action of at currentof heated air.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a drying apparatus, ofcylinders G, surrounded by a steam-chamher, 0, couveyers I, anddisintegrating-saws e, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the drying-cylinders, of the second set ofdisintegrating-saws c on shafts e e, interposed in the course of thematerial between the first and last drying-cylinders, for the purposeset forth.

3. The disintegrator, consisting of two sets a of overlapping rotarysaws, in combination with gearing for rotating the same at differentrates of speed, as explained.

4. The cutting apparatus, consisting of involute helical bladesoverlapping and working together shearwise, in combination withdisintegrating and drying apparatus, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in adisiutegrating and drying machine, of thecutting device B C, elevator D, disintegrator E, drying-cylinders G,with conveyors I, and surrounded by steamcylinders K, disintegrator Eorifice Q, and inclosing-case R, for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE MERCER.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, G120. H. KNIGHT.

